9 Rescued After Raft Drifts From Cape Cod Coast

SANDWICH (CBS) – It was dramatic end to what should have been a quiet day at the beach.

Late Thursday afternoon, a group of eight children and one adult found themselves pulled out at least half a mile into Cape Cod Bay. They started off on an inflatable raft and two paddle-boards close to the shore.

“What happened was, they just got a little too far offshore,” explained Scott Opie, one of the Coast Guard crew members on the response vessel that rescued the group. “With the Cape Cod Canal and the winds the way they were today, it’s very easy to get pushed offshore quickly and efficiently,” he said.

“They were going to have a struggle trying to get back to shore.”

An adult who remained on the beach called for help after she saw the group move out faster and farther than anyone expected.

A Coast Guard vessel responded to the scene in minutes.

“It was very dangerous,” explained Opie. “None of the kids had life jackets on. That was the biggest safety concern we found when we first arrived.”

Medical personnel checked everyone out once they got back to shore. There were no reported injuries.